Carina Ramos and her business partner Nancy Wyrebski opened the Pink Dog Spa in September of 2016 in West Acton. Ramos, who earned a degree in biology at UMass Boston, has been in the dog grooming business for almost 20 years. She says there’s nothing she likes more than working with her furry friends. Wyrebski studied veterinary medicine in Brazil and has been working in the pet grooming business since she moved to the U.S. in 2004. She enjoys coaching others who are interesting in the business.

In January, the friends recently moved their business from its Central Street location to Massachusetts Avenue in Boxborough. They also own another location in Sudbury.

Ramos took some time to answer question about the business. Answers may be edited for length, content, or clarity.

Please tell us a bit about your business.

We wanted dog grooming that would be pleasurable to the dogs, where they could play, and have the option of socializing with other dogs. We don’t want to make the grooming process a stressful experience for the dogs and for them to be happy to be groomed. We wanted a cage-free environment. However, we know that some dogs cannot get along with others, or they are shy or just need a break. For these reasons, we have the crates as well.

What sets your business apart?

We know every dog is different from another. Also, every owner is different from another. Like people, each dog has its issues, fears, behavior, and different background. So we like to learn about each dog. Now with the time restriction due to COVID-19 made everything harder, unfortunately, and we have to limit our contact with the clients. But we try to keep the interaction online, through emails.

We like to play with our shaggy friends, doing a daycare-like environment in our grooming room, so they have time to play and socialize with other dogs between the grooming steps.

How did the pandemic affect your business?

We had to shut the doors during the pandemic without any notice-like everyone else, as the government’s administration required us to do. It was pretty hard! We have many elderly and special needs dogs that needed their regular care, or elders that couldn’t bathe their dogs in tubs or sinks at theis homes, so many cares… and we would not able to help them for few months. When we opened up back to business, we had to adapt to the new regulations, and we were hammered with so many dogs that were matted and overdue with the haircuts. Patiently, we could help one by one until all of the dogs were up to date with the haircut.

How has your business grown over the years?

We start to expanding the business in 2018 when we started training mode people to leran the profession and had the opportunity to open a dog spa in Sudbury.

As the business grew, we had to find a bigger space for Acton clients. We needed more space for the dogs to play, and we had some issues with parking as well. Luckily we found a nice space in Boxborough, only a three minute drive away from our old location. Now we have our parking lot and more room for the dogs to play. And it is so nice to be around the trees, in a private lot.

Any tips on grooming?

Grooming is an important part of our dogs healthy life. Bathing and brushing remove hair, dander, organisms (bacteria, yeast, parasites, etc.), environmental allergens, and oil from the skin’s surface. These procedures are key components to healthy skin and coat management for the dog and the health of her family members. It is a vital element to their overall health and wellbeing. Nails are an important part of grooming. It is necessary to make a habit of trimming our pet’s nails every other week before they get too long.

What do you love most about your job?

We love to see our dogs getting nice haircuts, being pampered, and smelling pretty. Os see the progress of a dog that is traumatized by a bad experience in the past, come a long way, getting better with the grooming process or the skin and hair improvement. Every day we have our reward with kisses and affection from our furry friends.

Contact info/hours

• Acton-Boxborough Pink Dog Spa, 650 Massachusetts Ave., Boxborough, 978-429-8191
• Sudbury Pink Dog Spa, 621 Boston Post Road, Sudbury, 978-261-5679

For more information, visit www.pinkdogspa.com